Disable media control overlay in inprivate browsing

Deleted
Not applicable

I meant, what's the purpose of using inprivate browsing if someone can see what you *watch* when you try to increase/decrease the volume?

7 Replies

Hi @Deleted  - when you use InPrivate browsing, browsing data (history, temporary internet files, and cookies) are not saved once you are done.

 

Another way to think about InPrivate browsing, it prevents people from prying on your web browsing after it has occurred (data not saved once you are done). They can still pry while browsing is occurring. Hope this makes sense.

 

With that said, take a look @ edge://flags/#hardware-media-key-handling. Disabling this flag might be what you are looking for. It simply shows the volume bar without and song/video titles when disabled.

 

You're missing the point. Try to use inprivate browsing, then play video. After that try to change the volume. You'll see what you *watch* there. This isn't privacy at all, if you watch something, then someone comes in to your room, you switch the virtual desktop to make sure they don't know what you're doing. But that person suddenly knows what you do because they try to change the volume before playing the video/music (they're borrowing your device for example).

 

I know that the ISP still knows what you're doing, but that's not the point of what I'm asking. It's inprivate browsing for f**k's sake, so the media overlay *shouldn't* leak what is happening on the inprivate browsing. 

@Deleted What @DarrenMH said is that in private browsing will not keep records of what you accessed, but do not try to hide anything while you're accessing it. After you close the In Private browser all your access trace should be gone. If you still see the video information after the browser is closed then that's an issue.

@cbomtempo 

Yeah, I know what he meant. But he's completely missing the point of what I said.

I like this overlay thing, but it shouldn't show what you watch in inprivate browsing... that's what my point is.

@Deleted I was able to disable the media being displayed on the volume by setting the flag edge://flags/#hardware-media-key-handling, Steps I did to verify behavior -

 

  1. From within Edge Insiders, Settings and more, New InPrivate window.
    1. I'll reference this as Desktop #1.
  2. From within the InPrivate window, I picked a streaming service (I used both Netflix and Hulu)
  3.  Started a video, used keyboard to change volume
    1. From within Desktop #1 Edge Insider, changed volume, I see media info
    2. On lock screen, change volume, I see media info
    3. From Desktop #2 change volume, I see media info
  4. Set the flag edge://flags/#hardware-media-key-handling from with Edge Insider on Desktop #1, restart Edge for change to set, kick off InPrivate session and stream media
    1. From within Desktop #1 Edge Insider, changed volume, I see no media info, just volume bar
    2. On lock screen, change volume, I see no media info, just volume bar
    3. From Desktop #2 change volume, I see no media info, just volume bar

As you know, InPrivate browsing enables you to surf the web without leaving a trail, information is discarded when you end your session. This is different than keeping a device secure, or configure privacy settings, when someone has physical access. 

 

Maybe the ask is this - when using InPrivate browsing, you would like Edge to trigger the edge://flags/#hardware-media-key-handling automatically?

 

@DarrenMH 

Yeah, what I meant is when you open private mode, that flag would be auto-disable (only for that mode) while in the normal mode, it will be the same.

 

So let me show you a scenario,

I have two windows opened at the same time, the first one is normal mode and the other one is private mode. If I play video/music in the normal mode, the overlay will be shown. However, when I play video/music in the private mode, the overlay won't be shown. 

 

Can you understand what I meant? Sorry for my bad English.

Thanks @Deleted for the clarification.

 

I'll put in a feature request on this and share your feedback with it. Thanks again for taking the time on this to help me understand.